Governance Model
Template Library
Governance Model
Define governance purpose, scope, principles, roles, authority, decision rules, escalation, evidence, cadence, and open questions.
Governance
Governance Model
Authority Design
Template purpose
Use this template to define how governance works across the project.
Governance is not a meeting, committee, or approval ceremony by itself. Governance is the system of authority, evidence, decision rules, escalation, exception handling, and stewardship that keeps engineering work accountable.
Project
<Project name>
Document control
| Field |
Value |
| Artifact owner |
<owner> |
| Primary reviewers |
<reviewers> |
| Status |
<draft / in review / accepted / revised> |
| Last updated |
<YYYY-MM-DD> |
| Related Area |
Cross-cutting governance |
| Project workspace target |
docs/project-workspace/governance/governance_model.md |
Governance purpose
<Describe why governance is needed for this project.>
Governance principles
- Governance decisions must be tied to evidence.
- Authority must be explicit before decisions are made.
- Risk acceptance must be visible and owned.
- Exceptions must have rationale, authority, and review triggers.
- AI use must be controlled, reviewed, and evidenced.
- Release decisions must be based on decision-quality evidence.
- Operational learning must route back into engineering action.
Governance scope
| Area |
Governed By |
Evidence Location |
Decision Authority |
| Vision / value |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/vision/ |
<authority> |
| Requirements |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/requirements/ |
<authority> |
| Planning |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/planning/ |
<authority> |
| Architecture |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/architecture/ |
<authority> |
| Design |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/design/ |
<authority> |
| Implementation |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/implementation/ |
<authority> |
| Integration |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/integration/ |
<authority> |
| Testing |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/testing/ |
<authority> |
| Release |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/release/ |
<authority> |
| Operations |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/operations/ |
<authority> |
| Deployment |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/deployment/ |
<authority> |
| Monitoring |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/monitoring/ |
<authority> |
| Stewardship |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/stewardship/ |
<authority> |
| AI Use |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/governance/ai_governance.md |
<authority> |
| Evidence |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/governance/evidence_governance.md |
<authority> |
| Risks and Exceptions |
<role/process> |
docs/project-workspace/governance/risk_and_exception_governance.md |
<authority> |
Governance roles
| Role |
Responsibility |
Decision Authority |
Evidence Responsibility |
| Product Owner |
<responsibility> |
<authority> |
<evidence responsibility> |
| Architecture Lead |
<responsibility> |
<authority> |
<evidence responsibility> |
| Engineering Lead |
<responsibility> |
<authority> |
<evidence responsibility> |
| Security / IT Lead |
<responsibility> |
<authority> |
<evidence responsibility> |
| AI Reviewer |
<responsibility> |
<authority> |
<evidence responsibility> |
| Compliance Reviewer |
<responsibility> |
<authority> |
<evidence responsibility> |
| Operations Lead |
<responsibility> |
<authority> |
<evidence responsibility> |
| Stewardship Owner |
<responsibility> |
<authority> |
<evidence responsibility> |
Decision rules
| Decision Type |
Rule |
Evidence Required |
Authority |
| Requirements decision |
<rule> |
<evidence> |
<authority> |
| Architecture decision |
<rule> |
<evidence> |
<authority> |
| AI-use decision |
<rule> |
<evidence> |
<authority> |
| Risk acceptance |
<rule> |
<evidence> |
<authority> |
| Exception approval |
<rule> |
<evidence> |
<authority> |
| Release decision |
<rule> |
<evidence> |
<authority> |
| Stop / rollback decision |
<rule> |
<evidence> |
<authority> |
| Stewardship routing |
<rule> |
<evidence> |
<authority> |
Escalation rules
| Trigger |
Escalate To |
Required Evidence |
Expected Decision |
<trigger> |
<role> |
<evidence> |
<decision> |
Governance evidence
Governance decisions should leave durable evidence in the repository.
Key evidence may include:
- decision records;
- risk registers;
- exception records;
- AI-use records;
- review findings;
- release decision records;
- operational monitoring records;
- stewardship plans and next-cycle recommendations.
Governance review cadence
| Governance Area |
Cadence |
Owner |
Evidence |
| Governance model |
<cadence> |
<owner> |
<evidence> |
| AI governance |
<cadence> |
<owner> |
<evidence> |
| Evidence governance |
<cadence> |
<owner> |
<evidence> |
| Risk and exception governance |
<cadence> |
<owner> |
<evidence> |
| Release governance |
<cadence> |
<owner> |
<evidence> |
| Stewardship governance |
<cadence> |
<owner> |
<evidence> |
Open governance questions
| Question |
Owner |
Needed By |
<question> |
<owner> |
<date/stage> |
Review checklist
- [ ] Governance purpose and principles are clear.
- [ ] Governance scope covers the full lifecycle.
- [ ] Roles and authorities are explicit.
- [ ] Decision rules identify evidence and authority.
- [ ] Escalation rules are defined.
- [ ] Governance evidence is identified.
- [ ] Review cadence is defined.
- [ ] Open governance questions are visible.